Charging again to yet another Democrat’s rescue, with all his bi-partisanship and collegiality, John McCain doubled down on DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s diplomatic blunder by defending her assertion that the 9/11 highjackers reached the US through Canada.

“Well, some of the 9-11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know,” McCain, last year’s Republican presidential candidate, said on Fox News on Friday.

The Arizona senator’s remarks prompted the Canadian embassy to immediately reissue remarks made earlier this week by Ambassador Michael Wilson, who reminded Americans once again that no 9-11 perpetrators came to the U.S. via Canada.

[..]

“As the 9-11 Commission reported in July 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the U.S. from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued to them by the U.S. government. No 9-11 terrorists came from Canada.”

Crestfallen embassy officials contacted McCain’s office soon after his Fox News remarks to set the record straight. McCain, an avid supporter of NAFTA and a powerful friend to Canada on Capitol Hill, recently visited the Canadian Embassy and had lunch with Wilson.

McCain, backtracking, then added a gratuitous insult to Mexico in the process…

“The difference, obviously, is, with all due respect to the Mexicans, there’s not corruption on our northern border,” he told Fox News. “And, unfortunately, there is significant corruption, great corruption and drug cartels on our southern border.”

All true, but so much for back-stopping President Obama’s Latin America Apology Tour. And really, no points for piling on in trying to backtrack from a gaffe.

One would think Senator McCain would squander at least as much credibility defending fellow Republicans and policy-makers in the prior Administration from his former opponent’s Victor’s Justice impulses as he would, say, Dick Durbin comparing American soldiers to the Khmer Rouge. Fat chance.

Expect Senator McCain to be front and center in the next Gang-of-[Your Number Here] organized to deflect any Republican “Scorched Earth” response to “Torture Memo” show trials and Congressional Hearings, not to mention absolving his “good friend [insert Democrat Senator's name here]” for dozing off during the Closed Committee hearings where those interrogation techniques were discussed.

…his Secretary of Homeland Security insulting our northern neighbor:

Can someone please tell us how U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano got her job? She appears to be about as knowledgeable about border issues as a late-night radio call-in yahoo.

Wait a minute, I thought we voted out the late-night radio call-in yahoo’s back in November…

In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that “suspected or known terrorists” have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack.

In the classic case of “Hole, Meet Shovel”, Madam Secretary kept digging:

Informed of her error, Ms. Napolitano blustered: “I can’t talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here’s the future. The future is we have borders.”

Ouch…and Heh.  Unfortunately, Madame Secretary hasn’t learned that the purpose of blowing smoke is to cover a retreat, not hang a bell around it.  I’d laugh at her, her PR team, and her memo-drafting cronies, except that even Keystone Kops carry badges and truncheons.

Actor Ron Silver passed away Sunday after a two-year battle with esphogeal cancer.

His politics over most of his life were staunchly liberal, but he underwent an epiphany after 9-11.  He moved from anger over an Air Force flyover during the first Clinton Inaugural to to addressing the Republican Convention in ‘04.

I’ll remember him most for the role of David Sternberg, Jerry Lewis’ doomed son, on Wiseguy. Rest in Peace, and prayers to his family.

Gordon Smith conceded to his Democrat challenger Jeff Merkley early this morning.

Approximately 40,000 votes remain to be counted (Oregon is vote-by-mail). Smith trailed through most counts on Tuesday, but caught and narrowly passed Merkley late Tuesday night. Vote counts from Multnomah (Portland) and Lane (Eugene) counties then put Merkley over the top.

That leaves the current Senate count 57-D (counting Lieberman and Sanders) to 41-R (counting Stevens), with two races (MN recount, GA runoff) yet to be decided.

Among other newsbits hinting at a long night for Democrats in PA, 24-year incumbent Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke) trails his Republican challenger Paul Barletta by 6 points (outside margin of 4 points).

This after Kanjorski retained his seat with 75% of the vote in 2006.

Details on this and other Pennsylvania races at ‘politickerpa.com’.